I am spoiled. This was just one batch of the amazing Christmas gifts that came from my In-Laws yesterday. Oh my! Thread! If you've followed my blog for any length of time you may have picked up on the fact that I'm a TOTAL thread nerd. I don't know what it is, I just LOVE thread. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I love all of the different uses and effects that can be achieved with just thread...and I love the colors. OH the colors!!!! I get goosebumps...yes GOOSEBUMPS thinking of some drool worthy thread combinations. I'm that much of a thread nerd. Hahaha!
So as sort of a New Year's Resolution...I'm resolving to play with thread. ALL YEAR long. Maybe next year too. You all know I'm a SAHM on a budget so this is a big endeavor for me. I pay retail cost for all of my thread, so it's very special and loved when it arrives and is finally chosen and used in my quilts. I have been passively playing with thread and experimenting over the past year or more with different brands and products and discovering that I have preferences. Oh my!
I spend way too much time on blogs and in quilting forums reading about thread and drooling over the creations I see made with them. I want so much to buckle down this year and TRY all of these wonderful, and sometimes luxurious threads I read about for myself. So I have devised a list of thread I want to try this year. Some I have never used and some I am giving a second go round. I will share here the results and compare and contrast my thoughts and experiences (for whatever that is worth!) for you to read through and maybe help you make some decisions about trying a new thread for yourself...or for you to totally skim past never to be thought of again! Lol* :)
I'm doing this for myself mostly, but for my quilting friends too because I know that for some of us who do not run businesses and who do not have a lot of disposable income to spend on quilting supplies, it's really important to take time and decide what quality products we will give up our hard earned cash for. Because we love our art and we want to make amazing heirlooms to leave our family...and we want to play with the finest of sewing things in life on a mere stay at home Mommy budget!
I am limiting this list to just threads used in some way for quilting...be it piecing, applique, or the actual quilting process.
Let me lay the groundwork and tell you what I have experience with so far. I have used the following for quilting and piecing:
- Connecting Threads Essential Cotton
- Coats and Clark Machine Quilting Cotton
- Coats and Clark Hand Quilting Cotton
- Coats and Clark Machine Embroidery Polyester Thread
- Superior Threads King Tut
- Superior Threads So Fine
- Superior MonoPoly
- Superior Rainbows
- Americana Hand Quilting Thread (found at Jo Ann Fabrics)
- Gutermann Metallic Effect Thread
- Sulky Rayon
Here is the current list for "Want to Try" threads. I will put it in the sidebar and update it as I find new threads I want to try. I will cross off each thread on the list and do as comprehensive of a review as I can and link it in the sidebar as I try each new brand or product. A few on this list I have purchased but haven't used in a project yet.- Isacord
- Superior Bottom Line (and in the TOP!)
- Superior Kimono Silk
- Superior MasterPiece
- Gutermann Silk
- Madeira Monolon
- Star Quilting Thread
- Aurifil Cotton
- WonderFil
- Glide
- Signature
- Robison Anton Cotton Quilting
- Robison Anton Polyester Embroidery
- YLI
**I am on the hunt to try a water soluble thread for my trapunto quilts but haven't put it on the list becaue I don't know what brand - please suggest one if you have one that you like!
**Some of the threads listed are intended for long arm use. I haven't talked a lot about it on my blog, but the Husband and I are currently researching and shopping around for a used long or mid arm. I'm hoping after I gain some practice and knowledge to do a little quilting for hire to help pay for some fabric and of course, THREAD! :)
I would love to hear thoughts, comments, and thread suggestions from anyone out there! Is there anything I must try? Please share!
6 comments:
Our thread here in Canada is so expensive. A spoon of 1200 yds can cost up to $6.00 or more so we are always grabbing it when it is 40%or more. But it never seems to fail that when I need it it is not on sale. I just started ordering my thread from connecting threads. So far I am happy with it and the cost is great. Any shipping to Canada is only 7.99 no matter how big the order and it comes really fast. I haven't tried to many other places yet. But I am learning. Hope you had a great Christmas, we sure did.
Val, Star thread is Coats and Clark thread.It was purchased several years ago and they just kept the name. You might be surprised if you went on C&C and Star thread websites to see what they do make. Star is a part of the Coats and Clark label. Chris
I have used several types of thread certainly find much less lint build-up when I use Aurifil or Presencia, but both are quite costly. I have used Star extensively and it worked very well in my machine. Based on something you said in a post last year I have also tried Connecting Threads and my machine likes it very much and I really like the price. I look forward to your reviews.
I am just beginning to learn the differences between threads...weight, type etc. so I don't have much to offer in the way of a suggestion to try. I would, however, ask that maybe you discuss weight, type etc for those of us who are following and are new to the love of thread. Thanks and looking forward to reading more.
I just found your blog question regarding water soluble/wash-away thread. I have used YLI Wash-away for quite a while. I pin-baste my quilts then do a grid pattern (stitching about 4" apart)with the YLI on the top and regular white sewing thread in the bobbin. This allows for unimpeded quilting fun!!! When the quilt is bound and finished, I 'wash' it and dry it. The bobbin thread pretty much falls away and is easily released, if caught, with a seam ripper. I haven't used it for trapunto. I have a cone of Superior "Vanish Lite" that I haven't used yet. Good reports on that, I have heard. I have a HQ Sweet Sixteen longarm machine (as I do not have space for a frame mounted machine). That machine seems to 'like' any/all threads and all weights! Will add your site to my "reader"/follower list to keep up with your quilting journey. Blessings, Doreen
I'm really thankful that I've found you thanks to Sharon at Vrooman's Quilts. I too am confused by all the different brands of thread available and want to learn more so I'll be following this very closely. And I'm also researching and hoping to buy a used long or mid arm this year so I'd love to hear your thoughts on each one as you work on making your decision.
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